Tuesday, June 7 2005 22:25 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Reflecting a sharp divide in the Sangh Parivar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vice-president Venkaiah Naidu today (Jun 7, 2005) lashed out at the leadership of sister organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), particularly its leader Praveen Togadia, for calling L K Advani a "traitor".

"BJP strongly disapproves of the statements made against Advani by VHP leader Praveen Togadia. The language used is totally objectionable not expected from a nationalist organisation," Naidu, flanked by several top party leaders, told a press conference in New Delhi.

"The BJP condemns it in the strongest possible language," said Naidu, flanked by Pramod Mahajan, Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Sanjay Joshi, Bal Apte, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ananth Kumar.

Naidu was reacting to Togadia's comment describing Advani as a "traitor" for terming Pakistan founder Mohd Ali Jinnah as secular. VHP working president Ashok Singhal and senior vice president Acharya Giriraj Kishore had also attacked Advani and demanded his resignation.

None of the BJP leaders came out in defence of Advani on his utterances on Jinnah yesterday even as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and VHP continued to spewed venom against him. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who returned from his holiday in Manali, defended Advani this morning.

Virtually paying tributes to Advani, Naidu said he had made "yeoman contribution for the cause of nation, Hindutva and BJP."

The former BJP president said the "leadership and the amount of effort he (Advani) made will go down in the history" and "we are proud of the leadership provided by Advani."

Noting that Advani had been instrumental in expanding the base of the party, Naidu said Advani had given direction to the political course of the party.

"His (Advani's) contribution for espousing the nationalist cause is praiseworthy," Naidu said, adding Advani had set the agenda for political course in the country over the last two decades.

RSS also pulled up VHP for using harsh language against Advani.

"We never support the kind of criticism (used by the VHP leaders). It should be avoided," RSS spokesman Ram Madhav said when asked to comment on Togadia's attack against Advani.

Asked about RSS attack on Advani for his utterances on Jinnah and Ayodhya demolition, he said "we never attacked anybody in individual capacity. We had objections to the sentiments expressed and we sought withdrawal of the statement (by Advani)."

To a question, he said there was nothing unusual in the "differences" in the Sangh Parivar.

"It is normal to have differences of views in a big family like that of the Sangh. It should not be seen as a crisis. It will be corrected," Madhav said.